


Ready or Not

by Anonymous



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Love, M/M, Moving In Together, Mpreg, Press and Tabloids, Switching, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:20:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29169471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: After finding out he's pregnant, Otabek moves in with Yuri. Not everyone is happy with the news, but they know they can make it work.
Relationships: Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21
Collections: Five Figure Fanwork Exchange 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WretchedArtifact](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WretchedArtifact/gifts).



Otabek tapes the final box closed and steps back to examine his handiwork. It’s strange to see his room all packed up, and a large part of him is still worried he's gotten ahead of himself and will just be coming back in a few days with his tail between his legs to undo all of his hard work.

His sister called it a stalling tactic. She might be right, but sorting through all of his things to decide what to bring with him and what to leave behind is work he would rather do now than later, and the extra time helped him get his thoughts straightened out. He knows what he wants now, but he also has a backup plan for if it doesn't work out. He has done all he can from here, so now it's time to go to St. Petersburg.

He moved into his sister's apartment three years ago when her college roommate moved out because it was closer to the rink than their parents' house. It was always meant to be temporary, but it still feels strange to move out. Marzhan has been very helpful these past few weeks, with packing and planning and offering a sounding board for all of his worries, but she has still made it clear that she disapproves of his plans, despite her willingness to help with them.

Marzhan knocks on the door. "I can finish packing the rest after you leave, but we need to go now if you don't want to miss your flight."

"I'm ready, I was just taking one last look around to make sure I didn't forget anything," Otabek says, opening his door and pulling both of his suitcases behind him.

"Remind me again what the plan is?" Marzhan asks as she takes one of the suitcases and walks outside toward her car.

"I'm going to go to Yuri's apartment and give him the news, and hope he wants me to stay. If he does, you'll mail the boxes with the labels to me there and take the unlabeled boxes to my old room at mom and dad's house so you can get a new roommate," Otabek says.

"Let's say he doesn't. After I fly to Russia and kick his ass, what comes next?" she asks as she sits down in the driver's seat and Otabek climbs in on the passenger's side.

"Nobody is kicking anybody's ass. If he doesn't want me to stay I'll come back home and have the baby here," Otabek says. He really hopes it doesn't come to that. As much as he would like to have his family around for this, he wants Yuri more.

They pass most of the ride in silence. When they're almost there Marzhan speaks up again. "I still don't understand why you won't ask him to come here."

"Because he's still skating next season and I'm not. It just makes sense for me to be the one to move." Otabek is getting annoyed, they've been over this several times in the past few weeks. If there was ever a time when she could've changed his mind it's over now.

"I just don't want you to get hurt. Promise you'll let me know how it goes," she says as she pulls into the parking lot. "I'll keep your room open for you, and I wasn't joking about kicking his ass. I'll fly to Russia if I have to."

"I know you would, but I can take care of myself," Otabek says as he gathers his bags. The majority of what he owns is contained within two suitcases and a carryon. 

"How are you feeling?" Marzhan asks, grabbing one of the suitcases to walk with him toward the door.

"Nervous," he says.

"Just nervous?"

"Terrified."

"It's going to be okay. Even if you have to come back home, it's not the end of the world," Marzhan says, pulling him down into a hug just outside the door.

"Mom and dad are still pissed at me," Otabek says. He's resigned to it now. He knows the only thing he can do is keep his head up and prove he can handle this, but it still sucks.

"Let me deal with them. They'll come around. They're just worried about you."

"Thanks. I guess I better get going, my flight leaves soon."

"Call me once you know something, even if it's late," Marzhan says as she lets go of him and lets him take his suitcase back.

"I will,” Otabek says, before turning to walk into the airport. 

It’s an all day flight with two layovers and his mind is too busy going over all the different ways this could go wrong to let him get any sleep on the plane. By the time he reaches Yuri’s door it's late the next evening and all he wants to do is sleep.

Otabek knocks and hears footsteps moving toward the door. There is a short pause as Yuri looks through the peephole before the door swings open and Otabek just barely drops his bags in time for Yuri to launch himself into his arms and crash their lips together in an eager kiss. "You should’ve told me you were coming!" Yuri says as he pulls back and puts his feet back on the ground, not fully letting go. He eyes the suitcases on the ground. "Long visit?"

"I hope so," Otabek says. 

"It's not that I don't want you here, but don't you usually start working on your programs for next season around now?" Yuri asks as he helps Otabek carry his bags inside.

"I'm not skating next season."

"Are you okay? Is it your ankle again?" Yuri asks, dropping the bags and looking over him to try to see where it hurts. 

"My ankle is fine, it's not that," Otabek says.

Otabek spent the first half of the previous summer staying with Yuri while recovering from a broken ankle sustained during a bad landing at practice. They visit each other as often as they can, but so far those eight weeks were the longest they’ve ever been in the same place.

"Well, you're too young to retire," Yuri says, taking a step back and crossing his arms over his chest. 

"I'm not retiring, at least, I don't think I'm retiring. I still want to skate again."

Yuri looks puzzled. "So what is it?"

Otabek takes a deep breath, it's now or never. "Do you remember after the exhibition at Worlds when the condom broke?" he asks.

"Yeah, but I pulled out, right?" Yuri asks, looking paler than usual.

"Not soon enough," Otabek says.

"Oh...fuck," Yuri says, sinking down onto the couch behind him and putting his head in his hands.  
He looks back up at Otabek who is still standing and looking uncertain.

"That was like two months ago, how long have you known?" he asks.

Otabek grimaces. "Probably about a month. Three weeks since I got up the nerve to take a pregnancy test. I wanted to get my thoughts together before I dragged you into this."

Yuri rakes his hand through his hair in frustration. "It's mine, I'm already in this."

"You don't have to be," Otabek says quietly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuri asks, sounding offended at the implication that he would just leave Otabek to handle this on his own.

"I mean, I put a lot of thought into it, and there are two ways this can go from here. The first is that I stay here with you and we figure this out together and do the best we can," Otabek says.

Yuri nods. "And the second?"

"I go back home and let my family help me. That's what they wanted me to do."

"So you're having the baby either way?" Yuri asks.

"Yeah, I thought about the other options, but I can't get rid of it," Otabek says, trying not to choke up.

"I won't ask you to," Yuri says, reaching out to pull Otabek down onto the couch beside him. "You're going to have to give me a little time to catch up though."

"That's fair," Otabek says. "I'm exhausted, can we talk about it more in the morning?" 

"Yeah, let's go to bed," Yuri says.

Otabek opens one of his suitcases and pulls out the first pair of pajamas he sees and quickly changes before crawling into Yuri’s bed on the far side of the room.

Yuri lives in a tiny one room apartment just across the street from the rink. Otabek isn’t sure how this apartment is going to work out long term. It was fine last summer when it was just the two of them, but it won't be just the two of them forever. 

He feels Yuri kiss him on the forehead and crawl into bed next to him just before exhaustion takes him.

In the morning he wakes up to light coming in through a gap in the curtains. He can feel Yuri hovering nearby before he opens his eyes to see him. "What time is it?" he asks. 

"About nine, you slept almost twelve hours," Yuri says.

"I didn't get any sleep on my flight here," Otabek responds.

"I didn't get much sleep last night.” Yuri continues, the dark circles under his eyes make it obvious. “Do you want breakfast?”

"Just toast, I can't really handle anything else right after I wake up," Otabek says as he pulls the blanket back so he can get out of bed. He digs through one of his suitcases until he finds clothes to change into and steps into the bathroom.

When he comes back out he sees Yuri putting a couple of slices of toast on a plate before turning back to the stove where he's frying eggs for his own breakfast. He can feel his stomach rolling at the smell of the eggs and is able to get back into the bathroom just in time to bend over the toilet before he vomits.

After a moment he feels Yuri’s hand on his back. "Are you okay?" he asks.

"I'll be fine, it's just morning sickness," Otabek says, pulling himself back up off the floor and preparing to brush his teeth for the second time in ten minutes.

"Does this happen every day?" Yuri asks.

"No. I think it was the eggs. Everything smells so much stronger now." 

"I'm sorry." 

"Don't worry about it," Otabek says as he makes his way over to the table to eat his toast. Sometimes eating something bland helps.

Yuri sits across the table from him and hesitates for a moment before saying "I spent a lot of time thinking last night when I couldn't sleep, and I have a few questions."

"I'll try to answer them," Otabek says.

"Okay, try not to take this the wrong way but, are you sure you want this? You're twenty-one and I'm only nineteen. We have plenty of time to do this later." 

Otabek was prepared for this question, he knows it seems crazy and he doesn’t really expect anyone else to understand, but this baby stopped being hypothetical to him the moment the second line showed up in the test window. If he has to choose between anything else and his baby, the baby will win. 

"I'm sure. I've thought about it a lot and I want this baby. My parents already tried to talk me out of it, but it's ours and I don't want to get rid of it."

Yuri takes a deep breath and closes his eyes for a moment. "I don't think I'm ready yet," he says. Otabek can feel his heart start to shatter before Yuri continues. "But we have a few months, so I’m going to get ready."

"I'm not entirely sure that I'm ready either, I just know I have to try," Otabek says. 

"Have you been to the doctor yet?" 

"Yeah, I had a check up back home. Everything looks fine. I'll have to find a new doctor now that I'm here though."

"And you’re sure you'll be happy here?" Yuri asks. He looks like he's trying hard to mask his insecurity. "I don't have much to offer, this shitty apartment is the best I can afford."

It really is a shitty apartment. It's clean and convenient, but it's also really tiny and the neighbors can get loud. From his seat at the small dining table that's pressed against the wall, Otabek could reach out and touch the couch, and it wouldn't be hard to throw something and have it land on the bed. Even for just the two of them it would be a tight fit long term.

"I want to be where you are, and for our kid to know both of their parents. That's more important to me than any specific location. If money is a problem I have some savings and I can try to get a job," Otabek says.

"How are you not pissed at me? I ruined your life!" Yuri says, his voice cracking like he's trying hard not to cry.

Otabek reaches across the table and takes his hand. "Changed, not ruined. Are you mad at me?"

Yuri shakes his head. "No, why would I be? You're the one giving everything up over my mistake. Maybe if I had noticed sooner when the condom broke you would still be skating."

"I was the one who decided to keep it, and missing a season isn't the end of the world. One good thing about doing this so young is I have a good chance of bouncing back after they're born."

"Last summer when you thought you might have to miss the season because of your ankle you were upset." 

"A baby is a lot different than a bad ankle," Otabek says. "At least for this there's something to look forward to."

"What's the due date?"

"December twenty-fifth."

Yuri scowls. "You are not having our baby on Victor's birthday."

Otabek suppresses a chuckle. "I don't think that's really up to me. I'm more worried about messing up your season, my due date is less than two weeks after the Grand Prix Final and right at the start of the Russian Nationals."

"Nationals are in St. Petersburg this year, so it's not as bad as it could be, but that's still pretty bad." 

Otabek can hear his phone buzzing from the bedside table across the room. "Oh, it's been doing that all morning, I just didn't want to wake you up," Yuri says.

Otabek puts his plate in the sink and goes over to retrieve his phone, seeing several missed text messages from Marzhan. He quickly texts back that he made it to Yuri's apartment just fine and that he will be staying in Russia and will call her later, then he shuts his phone off.

"Everything okay?" Yuri asks.

"Yeah, it was just my sister. I told her before I left that I'd call her as soon as I knew anything," Otabek explains.

"Is your family really taking it badly?"

Otabek winces. "They aren't happy, but it could probably be worse," he says. "They wanted me to wait until I was at least thirty and married, so this is way ahead of schedule, and they don't really know you, so they're worried about me leaving the country to do this without them."

"If you wanted to stay home I wouldn't blame you. I'm not sure how, but I would find a way to be with you there."

"I've thought it through. It doesn't make sense for you to leave behind a full ride sponsorship with one of the top ranked coaches in Russia to come train under my coach, and I doubt you want to live with my family."

"I don't even want to live with my own family," Yuri says.

"How do you think your family is going to take it?" 

"Anyone who gets mad is a hypocrite," Yuri says. "I'm not really close to most of them, but as far as my family is concerned this is very normal."

"What about your grandpa?" Otabek asks, knowing there is only one family member whose opinion Yuri actually cares about.

Yuri hesitates for a minute. "Well, he wasn't mad when mom had me, and I'm older than she was."

Otabek doesn’t know very much about Yuri’s childhood before he came to St. Petersburg, just that he was an only child and he was raised by his grandfather in Moscow. He never wanted to ask because he was worried it would be a sensitive subject.

“Aside from your family, does anyone know?” Yuri asks.

“My coach, because I had to explain why I wasn’t going to skate next season, and I think my mom might have told a couple of her friends,” Otabek says. 

“So it’s not a secret then?”

“People are going to find out eventually anyway. Now that you know I don’t care who else does.”

Yuri looks thoughtful for a moment. “I need some time to get used to it before it becomes public knowledge,” he says. “I need to go out for a little while, do you need anything?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Otabek says, watching as Yuri goes across the room to put on his shoes.

Before he leaves Yuri pauses and turns around to walk back to the table where Otabek is still seated and kiss him goodbye. “I’m glad you’re here,” he says, before turning to walk out the door.

\----------------------------------------

Yuri doesn’t want to freak out where Otabek can see him, so he does the only thing he can think to do and walks three blocks to Mila’s apartment. The only person he would rather talk to about this is Yuuri, but Yuuri would tell Victor, and it doesn’t really matter because they always spend their summers in Japan anyway.

He bangs loudly on the door and Mila answers, looking confused by his sudden appearance. “Yuri, what is it?” she asks.

“Mila, I fucked up,” Yuri says, choking back a sob.

Mila pulls him into a hug. “Show me where the body is and I’ll help you hide it,” she says, guiding Yuri inside and closing the door behind them. Yuri just shakes his head.

“Whoever it was, I’m sure they deserved it,” Mila says, patting him on the back as he sinks down onto her couch.

“It’s not that,” Yuri says.

“I know, but it can’t be as bad as that, right?” 

“Otabek is pregnant.”

Mila’s eyes widen. “Yours?” she asks.

“Of course it’s fucking mine. What the hell Mila?” Yuri shouts.

“You’re long distance. I don’t know what kind of arrangement you have when you’re apart,” Mila says defensively. 

Yuri shrugs it off. “It happened at Worlds,” he says. “He’s known for weeks, but he just told me last night, and he came in all ready for me to leave him. Is that really what he thinks of me?”

“Are you mad?” Mila asks.

“No, I’m not mad,” Yuri says, stopping to think for a moment and pinpoint the emotion he’s been feeling since last night. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t you think maybe he’s scared too?” 

“I just wish we could have figured out what to do together instead of him deciding without me and then telling me about his decision.” 

“What did he decide?”

“We’re keeping it. He said he could go home and do it without me, or he could move here.”

“Well, I hope he’s moving here. Did you give him an answer yet?”

“I’m not a deadbeat, of course he’s moving here. I would’ve moved there if he didn’t want to move here,” Yuri says.

“Then it sounds like you know what to do. When’s he gonna be here?” Mila asks.

“He got here last night, he’s in my apartment right now.” 

“Yuri…” Mila says disapprovingly.

“I know, I know,” Yuri says. “I needed to freak out and I didn’t want to freak out in front of him.”

“Is it helping?”

“A little.”

“Look, you’re going to be a dad and that’s really weird. The thought of another smaller you out there is terrifying to me too, but you get to decide what kind of dad you’re going to be. You can be reluctant or resentful, or you can let all of that go and decide to turn this into a good thing.” 

“I am glad Otabek is moving here, I always miss him when we can’t see each other.” 

“See? You’ve already found a bright spot.”

“And our kid is going to be pretty cool, if we don’t ruin them.”

“So don’t ruin them,” Mila says. “It sounds like you’re already a few steps ahead of your own dad and you didn’t turn out that bad.”

Yuri snorts, “That’s a low bar.”

“I’m just saying it’s probably harder to completely ruin a kid than you think.”

“Thanks. I should head home, I don’t want him to think he was right about me not wanting to be involved,” Yuri says, looking at the clock on his phone.

“I’m sure he didn’t think that, he was probably just trying to protect himself. Sometimes when you prepare for the worst, anything else is a relief,” Mila says as she stands up to follow him to the door. “Now go do something nice for your pregnant boyfriend to make up for leaving him by himself.”

“Fine. I haven’t told anyone else yet, so please hold off on the gossip for now. I’d rather the people who need to know hear it from one of us,” Yuri says.

“My lips are sealed,” Mila says, miming a zipper across her mouth.

Yuri stops at the bakery that sits about halfway between the two apartment buildings on his way home. He remembers last summer Otabek would stop by for a slice of apple cake as often as he could justify it as a part of his meal plan. He orders two individual slices of the cake and has it boxed up to take home.

When he gets to his apartment the first thing he hears after he opens the door is the sound of Otabek on the phone. He’s speaking the mix of Kazakh and Russian and the occasional English word that he speaks at home. The first time Yuri heard it he was briefly concerned his boyfriend might be having a stroke, before he realized half of the words didn’t make sense because they weren’t Russian. The blend of languages is as impressive as it is utterly baffling.

Today he sounds stressed, and between his tone and the occasional bits Yuri can understand he seems to be arguing with someone, probably one of his parents. His appearance seems to give Otabek the excuse he needs to end the call. 

“You weren’t gone long,” Otabek says.

“I just needed to clear my head. I brought you something,” Yuri says, holding up the bag from the bakery.

“Thanks,” Otabek says, walking over to where Yuri is standing to see what’s in the bag. “Oh, you remembered.”

“Is everything okay?” Yuri asks, gesturing to the phone that is still in Otabek’s hand.

“Yeah, that was my mom. She wants to come see where I’m going to be living. I managed to put her off coming until August to give me time to settle in and give both of us some time to really start planning for the baby. I think it’ll go over better if she can see that we’re on the right track.” 

“It’s not like she can really drag you back home. You’re an adult.” 

“I know, I just…” Otabek hesitates, as if he isn’t really sure how to finish his sentence.

“You want her approval.” 

“Yeah, she’s always been so supportive through everything, and I know she’s just worried. Nobody in my family has ever had a kid this young and she wants to be around to help me with it. She keeps reminding me that she was thirty when Marzhan was born and that was hard enough,” Otabek says.

“If it helps at all, I’ve decided to be good at this.” 

“Can you do that?” 

“It’s never failed me before,” Yuri says. “I decide to be good at things, and then I am.”

“Just like that?” Otabek asks, eyebrows raised.

“Well I still have to practice, but once I decide to be good at something I’m going to be good at it eventually. This kid probably won’t remember the first couple years, right?” Yuri says, taking the two slices of cake out of the bag and setting them down on the table, claiming the smaller piece for himself.

That startles a laugh out of Otabek. “No, I guess they probably won’t.”

“We’re going to have a baby and that is terrifying, but I love you, and any person we make is sure to be awesome,” Yuri says.

Otabek pulls Yuri into a kiss. “I love you too.”

They sit together, eating cake and talking about the near future, both nervous but glad to be on the same page.


	2. Chapter 2

The next two weeks are an adjustment as they learn all over again how to share a space. Last summer it was easier because Otabek was just a visitor, so if there wasn't room for his things it was no big deal to just leave them in his suitcase, or sitting out in the open. 

Yuri is doing his best to make room. He managed to clear some space in his dresser and closet by pulling out the clothes that are out of season and putting them in boxes under the bed. The coffee table became the permanent home of Otabek's laptop and mixing equipment, after an analysis of the remaining empty space in the apartment proved that there really wasn't enough space for a desk.

The shelves are cluttered and the closet is overflowing and it’s only going to get worse. They agree they really need to move to a larger apartment. A two bedroom apartment would be great, but even an apartment with one actual bedroom would be better than what they have now.

The trick is finding one within walking distance to the rink that’s within their budget. They’re trying to avoid touching their savings for now because they don’t want to risk not being prepared for an emergency later. 

Otabek has been applying for jobs without any luck, and as time passes it’s just going to get harder. Yuri manages to pick up a part time job at the rink. He is working at the counter during public skate hours, charging admission and renting out skates. Some days he finishes practice and goes home for lunch and a shower before heading right back to the rink for work.

Otabek does have a small source of income in the form of a youtube channel where he posts all of his mixes and the occasional original song. He started it the previous summer so he would have something to do while he was barred from the ice, and his follower count has been increasing steadily ever since. Since he isn’t having any luck with his job search he decides to put more of his focus on his channel. 

Yuri comes home exhausted after a full day of practice followed by a shift at work and flops down on the couch. He can hear the shower running so he decides to wait for Otabek to come out before he starts dinner, just in case there’s anything specific he’s in the mood for. One thing Yuri wasn’t expecting was for Otabek to be such a disaster in the kitchen. Yuri learned quickly that if he wants palatable food that won’t poison either of them, he’s better off doing the cooking himself.

Otabek steps out of the shower wearing just a towel and starts to dig through one of his drawers for something to wear. As he drops the towel Yuri’s eyes are drawn to the tiniest curve on the lower part of his belly. The first real evidence of their baby. He pulls himself back to his feet and crosses the room to where Otabek is now standing in only his boxers as he turns to look for his pajamas. 

“What is it?” Otabek asks.

“You’re showing,” Yuri says, reaching his hand out to rest on the tiny bump. It feels firm under his hand. 

Otabek covers Yuri’s hand with his own. “I noticed a couple days ago, but I think I mostly just look like I’ve let myself go.”

“You look good. You might need some new clothes soon though,” Yuri says.

“Yeah, I’m starting to regret packing all my clothes to bring here when they’re probably not going to fit for much longer anyway. We could’ve used the space for something else.”

Yuri leans in to pull Otabek into a kiss. “We’ll make space.”

“I missed you today,” Otabek says, dropping his hands to rest on Yuri’s waist.

“I missed you too,” Yuri says. “It sucks staying at the rink all day, knowing you’re here.”

“We're both here now," Otabek says, sliding his hands just barely underneath the hem of Yuri’s shirt and letting his fingertips graze over Yuri’s skin.

Yuri decides that dinner can wait as he pulls his t-shirt over his head and backs up against the bed, dragging Otabek along with him and kissing him deeply, hardly separating at all as they climb on top of the covers.

They continue to kiss with their bare chests pressed against each other, Otabek caging Yuri in beneath him. Their kissing turns to grinding and Yuri feels like he has too many clothes on, so he snakes a hand between them to unzip his jeans and they separate just far enough that he can tug them off before they're kissing again

Yuri can feel Otabek’s hard cock against his own and the thin layers of fabric separating them are too much. He brushes his hands down Otabek’s back until he comes to the waistband of his boxers and slides them down, watching hungrily as his cock bobs free. Once he has slid them down as far as he can reach, Otabek sits up and pulls them off the rest of the way, tossing them unceremoniously onto the floor next to the bed before slipping his hand into Yuri’s briefs to palm at his dick. Yuri raises his hips, thrusting against Otabek’s hand as he slides the last bit of fabric he has on down, until they can move against each other skin on skin.

Yuri is lost in the feeling, hooking one of his legs around Otabek’s back so they can get a better angle as they rut against each other. Otabek reaches blindly toward the bedside table, not wanting to stop what he's doing as he feels around in the drawer for a condom and lube. He finds them and drops them on the bed next to Yuri's head, then trails his hand up the back of Yuri’s thigh until he's cupping his ass. He moves his hand until his fingertips are just barely grazing Yuri’s hole. Yuri gives a short muffled moan and Otabek sits up to grab the lube and spread it over his fingers.

Yuri is pulled from his trance by a jolt of panic. "Wait!" he says.

Otabek stops in his tracks. "What is it, Yura? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just don't think this is a good idea," Yuri says.

Otabek looks puzzled, but he puts the lube back down and wipes his hand with a tissue, waiting to see if Yuri is going to explain any further.

"It's just… condoms can break and we don’t need another one," Yuri says quietly.

"We've had one broken condom in two years, and that probably only happened because I had it in my wallet for a few days. Apparently you're not supposed to do that," Otabek says.

"Once is all it takes," Yuri says. "I know it probably sounds stupid…"

"You don't sound stupid. Do you want to switch places? It's not like I can get double pregnant." 

"I miss having you in me, it's been so long," Yuri says. Since Otabek arrived just over two weeks ago, Yuri has been on top the few times they’ve had penetrative sex. They both like it that way, but they like it the other way too. 

"Do you want my fingers?" Otabek asks.

"God yes," Yuri says.

Otabek bends over Yuri and kisses him deeply before sitting back up to reapply the lube to his fingers. He rubs against Yuri’s hole before slowly pressing his index finger inside. "Like this?" he asks, stroking Yuri’s walls.

"More," Yuri says, eyes closed as he allows himself to sink into the sensation. He feels Otabek pull his hand back and then press in with two fingers. "Mm, yeah, just like that."

Otabek's fingers are brushing his prostate with every thrust and by the time he feels the third finger he regrets his earlier decision to not let Otabek fuck him into the mattress. 

"Is this good?" Otabek asks.

"Yeah, but it would be even better if you touched me," Yuri says. 

Otabek wraps his other hand around Yuri’s cock and strokes him in time with his thrusts. "Like this?"

"Oh fuck yes," Yuri moans. 

Otabek takes that as encouragement to speed up until Yuri's legs are shaking, occasionally pausing just briefly enough to keep him on the edge. 

After a few more minutes, when it looks like Yuri can’t take anymore, Otabek finishes him with a slight twist of his wrist. Yuri grabs him by the back of the neck and pulls him down into a sloppy open mouthed kiss. Otabek shifts until they’re laying side by side, facing each other. 

Yuri grabs a handful of tissues from the bedside table and wipes his come off of his stomach and Otabek’s hand before wadding them up and tossing them in the general direction of the trash can. He can make sure they actually made it in later.

"Your turn," Yuri says, pushing Otabek onto his back and kneeling over him. He kisses the space behind Otabek’s ear and under his jaw, and then down his neck to his collarbone. He continues his trail down Otabek’s chest and takes Otabek’s nipple into his mouth, pausing when he hears Otabek suck air in through his teeth.

"Careful," Otabek says. "They're really sensitive right now."

"Good sensitive or bad sensitive?" Yuri asks.

"Mostly bad."

Yuri places a soft kiss next to it as an apology before centering himself to kiss down Otabek’s sternum instead.

When he reaches Otabek’s stomach he can feel Otabek brushing his hair out of his face to get a better look at him. He looks up at him and grins before gently kissing the small curve where their baby is growing, lingering there for a moment before moving down to where Otabek is hard and waiting.

Otabek has been very patient, so Yuri doesn’t want to keep him waiting as he takes his cock into his mouth and sinks down, wrapping his hand around the base. Otabek makes a sound of appreciation and winds his fingers into Yuri’s hair, being careful not to tug too hard as he holds it out of Yuri’s face so he can see him better. 

Yuri doesn’t let up, holding eye contact as he continues to suck and stroke Otabek's cock. When Otabek chokes out a warning that he's getting close, Yuri smirks up at him and keeps going. He finishes him with his mouth and swallows, before crawling back up the bed to hold him.

A few minutes pass, and Yuri is just enjoying the afterglow when Otabek asks, "So, do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Yuri asks.

"You know what," Otabek says. "It's not like I don't enjoy everything we do together, but if there's something I can do to make you more comfortable, like double bag it or something…"

"God, Beka. No wonder you're pregnant. I'm handling the condoms from now on," Yuri says. He is never, ever going to tell him, but suddenly Yuri is glad Victor took him aside and gave him the gay version of the sex talk a few years ago. It may have been the most awkward hour of his life, and he might have learned way more about Victor than he ever wanted to know, but at least he knows how a damn condom works well enough to know that using two of them is a terrible fucking idea.

"What?" Otabek asks.

" _Friction,_ Beka, it damages the latex," Yuri says, unable to hide the exasperation in his tone.

"Okay, so that won't work," Otabek says. "Any other ideas?"

"I could go on birth control. It makes more sense now that we live together than it did when we could only see each other a few times a year." 

"You should make an appointment with my doctor, I'm pretty sure she can help you with that," Otabek says.

"Then we can make up for lost time," Yuri says, snuggling in closer. 

"I can't wait."

"Speaking of your doctor, are we still on for tomorrow?" 

"Yeah, you'll be there, right?"

"Yeah, I took the day off so I could go with you." 

Tomorrow morning is Otabek's twelve week checkup, which includes an ultrasound. It'll be the first glimpse either of them has of their baby. 

They lay there curled together for a few more minutes before Yuri reluctantly gets up to cook. He probably would've been content to just stay in bed, but neither of them have had dinner yet and it isn't even quite nighttime. 

__________________

Otabek wakes the next morning to the sound of his alarm. Yuri is next to him, stretching out with a groan before curling up and pulling the blanket back over his head.

"Come on, Yura, we have to get ready," Otabek says. He doesn't really want to get out of bed himself. He curses his past self for having the bright idea to schedule this appointment first thing in the morning, but the thought of seeing his baby today gets him moving. Yuri follows a few minutes later, and after a quick breakfast they're out the door.

When they arrive they sit in the waiting room until Otabek’s name is called. The doctor seems surprised by Yuri's presence, stating that fathers typically don't attend appointments. She asks if Yuri is planning to be there for the birth as well, and makes a note in Otabek’s chart that he'll need a family suite at the hospital when the time comes. It's easier to get approval for that if it's planned in advance.

After a quick exam, Otabek is given a piece of paper and they're sent to another floor for the ultrasound. 

They're ushered into a small dark room and Otabek is told to lay back on the exam table and lift up his shirt by a woman in pink scrubs. 

Yuri pulls a chair over from across the room and grabs Otabek’s hand as the sonographer squirts cold gel onto his lower belly. The image on the screen shifts as she uses the transducer to find the best view. After a moment a shape appears on the screen, and at first Otabek can't tell what he's looking at, but then the shape moves and it's obvious. Four distinct limbs with hands and feet flailing as the baby switches positions. Even with the blurry black and white picture Otabek is able to make out the silhouette of a face. 

"Can you feel that?" Yuri asks quietly, as the baby on the screen shifts again. 

"No, I haven't felt anything," Otabek says. 

"Give it about another month or two," the sonographer says. "By then you'll probably start to feel something like butterflies or bubbles."

"Are they usually that active?" Otabek asks, watching as the shape on the screen shifts positions once again.

"Not always, they're making it very difficult to get the measurements I need," says the sonographer.

"Beka, our kid is going to kick the crap out of you," Yuri says in awe.

"They get that from you," Otabek says, thinking back to the many, many, stories he's heard about Yuri kicking people throughout the years. 

After a moment the baby stills and the sonographer quickly gets the measurements she needs. The baby is just under six centimeters long, which they are assured is normal. Suddenly Otabek’s inability to detect the flurry of movement happening inside him makes much more sense.

The heartbeat is played out loud and Otabek pulls out his phone to record the sound.

Once they're done, the sonographer gives them a stack of print outs and Otabek is given some paper towels to wipe off the gel. They're told the doctor will call them if they need to come back, but otherwise to plan to have the next appointment in a month. 

Yuri stops by the reception desk to make his own appointment to have a birth control implant put in, and they catch the bus back home. 

"Do you feel up to taking a trip to Moscow?" Yuri asks. "We can take the train there today and spend the night at Grandpa's house, then come back home tomorrow."

"Are you ready to tell him?" Otabek asks.

"Yeah, but I don't want to do it on the phone," Yuri says. Over the past couple of weeks he has dialed the number and chickened out several times, hanging up quickly before the phone has even had a chance to ring.

"Lets go," Otabek says. People are going to know soon anyway. He’s not getting any smaller, and Grand Prix assignments are supposed to be announced in a few days, so people are sure to wonder why his name isn't on the roster. This might be their last few days of peace and relative privacy. He would rather Yuri’s grandpa know now, before the rest of the world does.

They check the train times and see that the next train to Moscow leaves in an hour. They quickly pack an overnight bag and rush to the train station, bringing the print outs from the ultrasound along with them.

They make it just in time. The quick train from St. Petersburg to Moscow takes about four hours, so they have time to kill. Otabek selects his favorite ultrasound picture and snaps a picture of it with his phone to send to his family, along with the short recording of the heartbeat. He answers a few of their questions before leaning onto Yuri’s shoulder and falling asleep. 

Yuri gently shakes him awake as the train pulls into the station. Nikolai is waiting for them, so Yuri must have called him at some point. 

"It's good to see you, Yurochka. Even if this short notice has me worried," Nikolai says. 

He greets Otabek with a nod. They've only met once before, two years ago, when Yuri and Otabek were both assigned to Rostelecom. They had just started dating and Yuri wanted to introduce them. 

It went well, but the news they have to share today is on another level.

The ride to Nikolai's house on the outskirts of the city is a long and awkward one. Nikolai keeps looking at them both suspiciously and Yuri isn’t offering any clues as to the reason for their visit.

When they arrive, Yuri follows Nikolai into the kitchen so they can prepare dinner. Without knowing in advance that Yuri was coming, Nikolai hadn’t yet had time to prepare his favorite food. Otabek offers to help but is turned down.

The actual meal is fantastic, Otabek has never tried Pirozhki before, and it's easy to see why it’s Yuri’s favorite. 

The atmosphere around the table is awkward, they’re eating in near-silence as Yuri keeps opening his mouth like he wants to say something and then quietly changing his mind. Otabek isn’t sure what he can do to help other than rest his hand on Yuri’s knee under the table as a show of support.

Finally Nikolai breaks the silence. “You can tell me, Yurochka. I’ve seen that face before. Your mother made the same face.”

“I’m not mom!” Yuri protests, sounding more offended than Otabek has ever heard him in his life.

“I know you’re not, I think you’re just having a very similar problem to one she had almost twenty years ago.” 

“Are you mad?”

“I’m not mad, I’m just worried. You’re so young, and you had such a good career ahead of you.” 

“I’m still skating. Nationals is going to be hard because it’s so close to the due date, but it’s in St. Petersburg this year so I won’t have to leave home.”.

Nikolai looks stunned to silence. He spends a moment searching for his words before saying “Yura, you can’t give birth on an ice rink. The baby will get cold.”

“What? Grandpa, no!” Yuri shouts. “I’m not pregnant, Beka is.” He turns to Otabek and says, “Show him!”

Otabek tries to hold back his laughter as he stands up from the table to retrieve the ultrasound pictures. When he returns to the table Yuri is sitting with his head in his hands, looking like he is trying hard to resist the urge to rip his own hair out.

“Here they are,” Otabek says, handing Nikolai the pictures and pointing to his own name in the upper right corner. Yuri reaches over and smoothes his hand over Otabek’s black t-shirt to reveal the very small curve there, just in case Nikolai is in need of any more convincing.

“Are you two prepared to take care of this baby?” Nikolai asks.

“I’ll do my best, sir,” Otabek says.

“We’re going to be way better than mom,” Yuri says.

“Your mother is ...challenging, but it isn’t all her fault,” Nikolai says. 

“Whatever, I’m just saying we’re going to raise our baby ourselves,” Yuri says.

“Your mother leaving you with me was the best thing for both of you. She wasn’t ready, and you would have suffered more if she hadn’t been willing to give you up. You’re in a much better place than she was so I know you’ll be fine.” 

“I know we’re young and things are going to be really hard, so is it bad that I’m excited? Seeing the baby this morning was amazing, and I can’t wait to see them again.”

“Isn’t it better to be happy? If you were miserable, think of how that would affect your child.”

He has a point. This whole time they’ve been embarrassed, almost apologizing for what they’ve created, and that isn’t fair to their child. What good will it do? The same people who will criticize them for what they’re doing would do it regardless of how they feel. They’ll be much better off if they can let go of that and just let themselves be happy.

“Thanks, I guess I didn’t really think of it that way,” Yuri says.

“If anyone gives you any trouble, kick their ass. It’s none of their business anyway.” Nikolai says.

The air is lighter after that. Yuri and Nikolai catch up on all that’s happened since their last visit and Otabek is content to just watch, not really having anything to add. That night when they’re ready to go to bed, Yuri leads Otabek into a small bedroom with sparse furniture and not much else. “Was this your room as a kid?” Otabek asks.

“This was mom’s room. Grandpa always hoped she would come back to stay instead of just to visit. I slept in here most of the time anyway, but when she was home I slept on the couch,” Yuri says.

Otabek must be making a face because Yuri turns to him and scoffs. “Oh don’t look so appalled, it pulls out into a bed.”

“I hope our kid doesn’t have to sleep on the couch is all,” Otabek says.

Yuri deflates. “Me too. But if they do, it’s not the end of the world. I turned out fine. Kids don’t need much.”

Otabek is getting a better look at what Yuri’s childhood must have been like, and it really explains a lot. Otabek wondered why he was so resistant to the idea of dropping their savings to move into a new apartment right away, instead of going out and getting a second job. He’s probably afraid of what might happen if he doesn’t have that financial cushion to fall back on. To Yuri it’s preferable to work harder and go without some things now if it means being more secure in the future.

He also knows Yuri’s savings are lower than they should be because he sends most of his winnings home. He was able to get it out of him once that he supports his mother and some of his extended family because if he didn’t they would just pester his grandpa for his share, but they never got any deeper into it. When they get back home it might be time to discuss it again.

The mattress isn’t very comfortable, some of the springs are sticking out and the center of it is sunken in, making both of them roll into the center of the bed. After a few attempts to each get back on their own side, they just give in and hold each other until they fall asleep.

In the morning Otabek wakes up in bed alone to the sound of creaking boards and Yuri’s voice saying, “You don’t have to climb up there, I can do it.”

“Nonsense, Yurochka. You don’t know where it is," Nikolai says.

Otabek pulls the covers back and steps into the hallway to see what’s going on. Nikolai is at the top of a ladder leading up to the attic and Yuri is hovering nervously beneath him on the floor.

Nikolai disappears from view and returns a few minutes later with a box. He hands the box down to Yuri before climbing back down the ladder.

“So what was so important you had to risk breaking your neck?” Yuri asks as Nikolai steps off of the ladder and retrieves the box.

Scrawled on the side in permanent marker is Yuri’s name. Nikolai opens it up to show what’s inside. “This stuff was yours when you were a baby,” he says to Yuri.

“Why did you keep all of this?” Yuri asks.

“At the time I thought maybe Gulya would have more children someday and need it, but now I’m glad I did.”

Yuri digs down through the box finding small blankets and baby clothes. Mostly blue, but there are other colors as well. There are even a few small toys buried at the bottom. Yuri hugs Nikolai and thanks him for giving him his old things.

“Don’t be ridiculous, what good was it doing in my attic? This way it isn’t wasting space anymore. Let's go eat breakfast before you two miss your train back home."

When they get home that afternoon they put the box in the bottom of their closet. It isn’t much, but it’s a start.


	3. Chapter 3

The Grand Prix assignments go out a few days later and Otabek spends the following week dodging phone calls from his fellow skaters who noticed his absence. He didn’t realize so many of them even had his number.

“I wish I could just make a single announcement and never have to explain this again,” Otabek says, as he sends JJ to voicemail for what must be the seventh time.

“You can,” Yuri says, looking at Otabek like he’s grown a second head. “Most of them follow you on Instagram don’t they?”

Otabek isn’t really sure. He barely checks it, but that sounds likely. 

“You can just post the ultrasound picture and they’ll get the message,” Yuri says. Now that his grandpa knows he hasn’t worried as much about who else finds out. Letting the cat out of the bag at least got his rink mates to stop asking why Otabek wasn’t practicing with them. He’s surprised the news hasn’t spread further already.

That seems like a good idea to Otabek, so he puts the picture online with the simple caption: “Mine.”

It backfires.

Instead of a few calls a day from worried friends he finds himself suddenly dealing with the full wrath of the poorly named "Yuri’s Angels." The picture and speculation to go with it spreads like wildfire, and if they don’t manage to put it out he fears they’re going to get burned.

Some of the rumors spread by the “Angels” are nasty, saying that the baby isn’t Yuri’s or that Otabek must have gotten pregnant to try to trap him. Others are fully in denial that he’s even pregnant at all, claiming that it’s a hoax and he must be sitting out the season for some other reason.

One particularly bizarre post analyzes all of Yuri’s recent photos to prove that he’s crying for help from his fans. Highlighting seemingly random letters on signs and posters in the background of his pictures and then finishing with a screenshot of a caption that says “my girl” on a selfie that was clearly referring to Potya, who was perched on his shoulder.

Meanwhile his own fans are marginally less volatile but still clearly mad at Yuri for taking him out of the season, if some of the comments on his social media pages are to be believed.

They’re both at the end of their rope when Victor and Yuuri return from Japan a week later, disappointed at not being told before the entire internet, but thankfully willing to help. Victor has more experience than most at dealing with scandals due to his penchant for getting naked after three drinks.

“You went about this the wrong way,” Victor says, looking over some of the more concerning blog posts they’ve found. “I wish you had told me before you did this so I could’ve talked you out of it.”

“How do we get them to calm down?” Otabek asks.

“You need to do an interview and make it clear that you’re both happy and that you have a plan to make a comeback,” Victor says. “I can try to set something up, I have a few contacts here in the city.”

Otabek should have just answered his damn phone.

“Fine, just tell me when to be there,” Otabek says, defeated.

“First you need to have a plan. How exactly are you planning to return to skating?” Victor asks.

“I haven’t really gotten that far yet,” Otabek says.

“Do you have a coach?” Victor asks.

“No, my old coach is based in Almaty and I’m going to live here with Yuri and the baby, so I’ll need a new one.”

“Congratulations, you have a coach,” Victor says, sticking out his hand for Otabek to shake.

Otabek takes it and responds in confusion. “I didn’t know you were looking for a new student.”

“This is Yuuri’s last season before he retires, so if I want to continue coaching I’ll need a new student,” Victor says.

“And you’re sure you want me?” Otabek looks doubtful.

Victor’s eyes sparkle. “You were my top choice even before all of this, your skating style is so much different than mine and I can’t wait to work with you on new programs. Now that I know it will be your comeback season on top of that? It’s the perfect challenge!” 

They spend the following week trying their hardest to ignore the wildfire they inadvertently set amongst their fans while Victor sets up the interview and coaches them through what to say. At roughly fifteen weeks pregnant Otabek’s bump is now obvious under a t-shirt, and it's too hot outside the first week of July to comfortably wear layers to conceal it, so he doesn't bother trying. Everyone already knows anyway.

One evening, when Yuri is working late, Victor picks Otabek up to take him shopping. None of his nice pants will button anymore and his idea of wearing his normal athletic clothes to the interview was vetoed. 

Shopping with Victor is an experience Otabek hopes to never have again. He's starting to understand why Yuuri opted to stay home. He expected to stop at one store and get a couple of things to hold him over for a little while and then go home, but Victor seems determined to help him acquire an entire new wardrobe. It's not enough to just look at things and decide they'll work either, he has to actually go into the changing room and try everything on.

After five stores in as many hours Victor finally decides he's bought enough and takes Otabek back home, insisting on helping him carry the bags up the stairs to the apartment he shares with Yuri.

Otabek has to admit that the stretchy waistband of the maternity pants is far more comfortable than continuing to try to squeeze into his regular jeans and probably a better look than continuing to wear his track pants everywhere.

He wasn't prepared for how much the right clothes would change his appearance. In his old clothes he could easily pass for pudgy and he assumed that was probably what most people who didn't know him thought when they saw him. The maternity clothes lay just right over his bump to make it clear that he's pregnant. He's not really sure what to make of it.

The next day he puts on some of his new clothes for the walk to the bakery he's been making a lot lately. He gets a slice of his favorite apple cake and a cup of decaf coffee and goes back home. When he gets there, Yuri is home from the rink fixing a sandwich for lunch. He has a couple of hours before he has to go back and start his shift.

Yuri looks up at him as he walks through the door and nearly drops his plate. "Whoa," he says.

He sets his plate down on the counter and walks over to where Otabek is standing to put his hand on Otabek's belly. "The new clothes look good on you," he says.

"Thanks, they're a lot more comfortable," Otabek says.

It's a simple outfit, dark jeans and a solid gray short-sleeved shirt. He plans to wear something similar when they go to the interview tomorrow. It's supposed to be a casual thing, just some figure skating fans with a well known youtube channel which they dedicate to compilations of figure skating moments and the occasional interview with whatever skater or coach is willing to appear.

Victor says they're reasonable, and after watching a few of their previous interviews he feels a lot less nervous. Yuri decided he liked them after watching a video they made of JJ falling in every competition from his juniors years to the present day set to "The Theme of King JJ."

They sit and eat together and Yuri can’t take his eyes off him. "I don't look that different do I?" Otabek asks, self-consciously smoothing his shirt down.

"You do, but it's not bad," Yuri says. "Just...that's my baby in there," he continues, gesturing toward Otabek’s belly.

He's stating the obvious, but Otabek knows exactly what he means. Lately it has been feeling more and more real every time he looks at himself in the mirror. 

"Exciting, isn't it?" Otabek asks.

Yuri responds with a grin. "Yeah, it really is."

The next day Victor drives them to a small studio to meet up with the interviewer. He and Yuuri stay nearby to offer moral support as the cameras start rolling and the host goes through her list of questions. She's polite, and clearly happy to meet them. 

Most of the interview is about Otabek’s move to St. Petersburg and plans for a comeback, but bits of it are also centered around Yuri’s skating this coming season and how he plans to make that work with some of his competitions being so close to the due date. They emphasize throughout the interview how happy they are together and how excited they are to meet their baby, hoping that it will get the point across to their fans to stop being assholes and making up conspiracies.

At the end, the interviewer thanks them for their time and wishes them luck in the future. Otabek can only hope that everyone who watches will get the message.

They wait a few more days for the video to go up online before both posting their own message. It’s a picture of the two of them, each using their thumb and index finger to form the shape of a heart together over Otabek's belly. 

The comments that come in on those pictures are far kinder. Otabek isn’t sure if that's because the crazier fans are getting over it, or if it's because of the blocking spree they've both been on over the last couple of weeks. Either way, he knows that things are looking up.


	4. Chapter 4

Yuri gets home after practice, glad for an evening off after a brutal day of trying to learn his new free skate. He thinks his bruises might have bruises. His short program is coming easily to him, but something about the free skate feels off, he thinks it might be the music.

Things have calmed down a lot since their interview was posted. Over the past few weeks life has gone pretty much back to normal. 

Otabek is sitting on the floor staring at the instruction manual for a crib that is still laying in pieces in front of him. Potya is perched on top of the pile, but she doesn't look like she’s being much help. "Yura, come hold this," he says, picking up one of the larger pieces.

Yuri does as he is told. "Is there any reason we're doing this right now?" he asks, holding the side of the crib in place while Otabek screws it to what looks like the front (or maybe the back?)

"My mom and sister are going to be here in a couple weeks and I need them to see how prepared we are," Otabek says.

"Is your dad not coming?" Yuri asks. 

"He wants to save his vacation time to come visit after the baby is born so he can meet them." 

Yuri has been pretty calm about the upcoming visit. He met Otabek’s dad a couple of summers ago when he was able to get away from his practice long enough to spend a week in Almaty. Otabek’s mom and sister were on a trip together, leaving Otabek with the apartment to himself. They spent one evening during Yuri's visit at Otabek’s childhood home because Otabek wanted to show Yuri around the place where he grew up and introduce him to his dad.

Yuri likes Otabek’s dad, he reminds him a lot of Otabek, and Otabek’s phone calls with his dad have also been leaving him far less stressed than his calls to his mom and sister. Knowing he isn't coming makes the upcoming visit feel much more intimidating.

“How do you think their visit is going to go?” Yuri asks, as they continue to put together the pieces of the crib.

“I’m not sure. I think the best case scenario is they decide we really can handle this after all, and then they stop trying to help all the time,” Otabek says.

“Okay, and worst case?” Yuri isn’t really sure why trying to help is such a bad thing, but Otabek knows his family better than Yuri does.

“They double down on trying to get me to move back home.”

“You wouldn’t, would you?” Yuri asks. He knows Otabek’s family is well off, at least in comparison to his own. Otabek and their baby wouldn’t have to worry about anything if he were to return home.

Otabek gives him a sad look. “Of course I wouldn’t! I just think it would be better if they could be happy for us.”

“If they aren’t, we’ll just have to be extra happy to make up for them.” Yuri reaches out and rests his hand on Otabek’s belly. “I know I’m happy. I might not show it all the time, but I’m really looking forward to meeting our kid.”

Otabek rests his hand on top of Yuri’s. “I’m happy too.”

“Then let's not worry about what anyone else thinks, and finish putting this crib together.”

They screw the last couple of pieces together and test the crib to make sure it’s sturdy. “I washed that stuff your grandpa sent, if you want to go get a crib sheet,” Otabek says, pointing to a laundry basket full of baby blankets and clothes that is just out of reach.

Yuri gets to his feet and digs down through the basket until he finds one of the sheets. It’s pale blue with white stripes and the fabric feels soft from repeated washes. He puts the sheet over the mattress and pushes the crib up against the side of their bed, which is the only real spot in the apartment with space for it.

He walks back over to where Otabek is sitting on the floor and reaches his hand out to help him up. Otabek reaches to take it before quickly pulling his hand back and placing it on his belly with his brows furrowed. “Wait, not yet,” he says.

“What is it, are you okay?” Yuri asks, sinking down to his knees beside him. “Is it the baby?” 

Otabek’s face breaks into a smile. “They’re moving.”

“I want to feel!” Yuri says, reaching his hand out to rest next to Otabek’s.

“You’re welcome to try, but I don’t think you can feel anything from outside yet,” Otabek says, picking up Yuri’s hand and putting it directly over the small source of movement.

Yuri concentrates, trying to detect any sign of movement but he can’t feel anything. “I guess you’re right,” he says, trying to hide his disappointment.

Otabek pulls Yuri back down next to him on the floor and wraps his arm around him and Yuri tries not to wince when his bruised hip touches the floor. “You’ll get to feel them soon, they just need to do some more growing first.”

“Just a couple more weeks until we get to see them again.” Yuri is really looking forward to Otabek’s next ultrasound. He can’t wait to see how much more their baby has grown, and if they’re lucky they might even find out if they’re expecting a boy or a girl.

"We can finally update the picture on the fridge." 

"Imagine how many pictures we'll have once they're actually born," Yuri says.

"We'll definitely run out of space on the fridge."

Yuri puts his hand back on Otabek's belly. "Still moving?"

Otabek shakes his head. "No, I think they've settled down for now." He places his hand over Yuri’s and leans in to kiss him. Gentle and sweet at first before deepening as he swipes his tongue over the seam of Yuri’s lips begging to be let in.

The second trimester is a blessing, Yuri decides. He had read that hormonal changes in the second trimester could result in increased libido, and now he’s reaping the benefits of that for himself. 

The hard floor is uncomfortable for Yuri so it can't possibly be comfortable for Otabek. Yuri breaks the kiss just long enough to get to his feet and offers Otabek his hand to help him up before they're kissing again as they make their way over to the bed a few steps away. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but I like it,” Yuri says, as he lays back on the bed and is immediately caged in when Otabek climbs on top of him.

“I got my energy back and I don’t want to waste it,” Otabek says, reaching down to strip off Yuri’s shirt. 

“In a hurry?” Yuri laughs, as he shifts position to finish getting undressed.

Otabek pauses for a moment as he prepares to pull his own shirt off, pants already tossed onto the floor. Yuri can tell he’s been feeling self-conscious lately, but he’s not really sure how to fix it. Yuri sits up and grasps onto the hem of Otabek’s shirt and helps him pull it off, allowing his hand to linger for just a moment on the swell of Otabek's belly. 

Otabek begins to climb back on top of Yuri but stops in his tracks. "You didn’t tell me you were hurt."

"It's not as bad as it looks," Yuri says, rolling over onto his side so Otabek can get a better look at the bruise. It really does look bad, it's a deep dark purple extending from his hip down to his upper thigh from repeatedly hitting the ice during his last few days of practice. There doesn't seem to be any real damage, but it’s very tender.

Otabek gently brushes his fingers across the bruise. “Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t want to make it worse.”

“You won’t. I trust you,” Yuri says, as he turns to lay on his stomach.

He can feel a gentle hand trailing down his uninjured side as he hears the drawer of the bedside table slide open. He looks over his shoulder and sees Otabek uncapping the lube and warming it in his hand.

“Lift up on your knees.”

Yuri does what he’s told and is quickly rewarded with the smooth slide of Otabek's middle finger inside of him. He allows himself to relax into the sensation as Otabek quickly but gently opens him up. 

After a few moments Yuri hears the rustling of a condom wrapper and looks over his shoulder to watch Otabek slide the condom over his cock. He feels a strong hand grip his uninjured hip and moans into the pillow as Otabek presses inside.

He can feel the warmth of Otabek's other hand ghost over his bruised hip before settling on his waist instead. Otabek is being very slow and deliberate with his movements, and Yuri’s not sure how much of it is because of his injury and how much is because of the somewhat awkward position. Still, he can’t find it in himself to complain as Otabek takes him apart bit by bit. He only wishes they were doing this face to face so he could get a better look at him. 

His orgasm sneaks up on him, with the slow pace causing a gradual build before the slightest touch to his cock pushes him over the edge. He hears a low moan behind him and knows Otabek has followed him over. 

When Otabek pulls out he reaches over to toss Yuri some wet wipes before getting out of bed to walk across the room and throw the condom into the kitchen trash.

“Where are you going?” Yuri asks. There’s a perfectly good trash can next to the bed and normally Otabek would want to stay and cuddle, often going so far as to stay in the wet spot just to have a few more moments of closeness.

“I’m getting you some ice for that bruise.”

“It’s really not that bad.”

Otabek gives him a flat look and opens the freezer door to retrieve the ice pack. “It will be if you don’t take care of it.”

Yuri takes the ice pack anyway and puts it over the darkest part of the bruise as Otabek climbs back into bed and wraps his arms around him. “Thanks,” he mumbles, as he snuggles in closer.

“It’s the off season, you should take a break for a few days while that heals. Maybe it’ll help you figure out what you’re doing wrong.”

“I’m not sure if missing practice is a good idea, I already feel like I’m getting behind.”

“If I hadn’t moved in you would probably take a week off at some point to visit me. Just pretend you’re doing that.”

Yuri sighs. “How about three days?”

“It’s better than nothing. Once you go back I’ll watch a couple of your practices and see if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“Thanks. Everything just feels so much more important this season, and I know I’ll have a lot less time on the ice later on.”

“We’ll worry about that when we get there.”

Yuri leaves the ice pack in place for twenty minutes and then gets up to take a shower. While he’s in there Otabek goes to get takeout so Yuri can rest. At some point he’s going to have to learn how to cook.

When Otabek gets home with their food, Yuri has already cleared his break with Yakov and is icing his hip again. He knows Otabek is right, he isn’t going to get any quality practice like this anyway, and the last thing he needs is to make it worse.

Yuri spends his time off trying to be useful. He sits down with his budget and looks at local two bedroom apartments (not yet, but maybe if he does well this season) and gives Otabek a few remedial cooking lessons so he’ll know how to cook more than two things. Yuri can just imagine him trying to live on take out or microwave dinners every time Yuri is away for a competition. 

It’s nice to have some time to spend together when Yuri isn’t already completely exhausted. He missed the freedom of just hanging out. Otabek has been feeling the baby move a lot since figuring out what it feels like and Yuri keeps trying to feel as well, but they must still be too little. He hopes he’ll be able to feel something soon. As stressful as this has all been, Yuri wouldn’t change it now, which was a surprise to him once he realized. Despite everything, he really is looking forward to meeting his baby.

He returns to practice feeling refreshed and ready to take on his free skate again, with Otabek watching from the sidelines. He runs through it a few times, mostly avoiding falling on his hip, which is still a little sore, but far less stiff than it was. Something about the skate still feels off. 

“It looks like you’re just not feeling it,” Otabek says, as Yuri unlaces his skates at the end of the day.

“Yeah, I’m not sure what it is but I just can’t get into it. I’m not having this problem with my short program.”

“If you think Yakov will let you switch things out, I can try to come up with some different music. What you have now is fine, but it’s pretty boring and I’ve never known you to be boring.”

“That would be great. There’s still enough time left before the season starts that I can probably change, if I can prove it’s a better choice.”

Over the next few days things start to return to normal. One day Yuri comes home to find Otabek leaning back on the couch with his eyes closed and his headphones on his belly.

“I think your ears are a little higher,” Yuri says as he flops down next to him.

“I wanted a second opinion on this music and since the baby can hear now…”

“How long have they been able to hear?” Yuri asks in surprise.

“The book says eighteen weeks, so about two weeks now.”

“Should I talk to them?”

“I do sometimes.”

“Why have I never seen you do that?”

“It’s embarrassing, it’s not like they answer.”

“What do you say to them?”

“Mostly I just narrate what I’m doing so they can get used to hearing my voice, but sometimes I end up sounding more like you when you talk to Potya.”

Yuri blushes. “I have no idea what you mean.”

Otabek just raises an eyebrow and moves his headphones back onto his head. Yuri scoots down and rests his head on what’s left of Otabek’s lap. “Hey. I guess I should introduce myself. I’m your dad. Well, your other dad, you have two. I guess I’m your papa so you can tell us apart.”

Yuri can see that Otabek is trying not to laugh. “What? They need to know who I am.”

“Nothing, it’s cute.”

Yuri slides his hand under Otabek’s shirt to rest on his belly as he turns back to the baby. “Your dad is being very mean to me right now, so I’m going to need you to kick him as hard as you can.”

Yuri feels the tiniest, barely perceptible tap against the palm of his hand. For a moment he thinks he may have just imagined it. “I can’t believe they actually did it,” Otabek says in surprise. 

“You’re such a good baby,” Yuri says. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“See? Just like talking to Potya.”

Yuri’s eyes narrow. “Kick him again.”

Nothing happens. Logically Yuri knows the timing of that first kick was just a coincidence, but he really hoped that would work.

Otabek hands his headphones over to Yuri. “Listen to this and see if you think it’ll work.”

It’s a remix of the simple instrumental track he was using before, but the pacing of it is closer to his style and there’s a subtle bass layered under it that adds another dimension. “I’ll have to let Yakov listen to it, but I think that’ll work, thanks.” 

“I have to do something to make myself useful,” Otabek says. Yuri can tell he’s trying to play it casual, but there’s some real insecurity under there.

He sits back up and puts his hands on Otabek’s shoulders, looking him in the eyes. “Just being here with me is enough. You’re having my baby, taking care of you is my job, and I’m glad to do it.”

“Thanks, but I really wish I could do more to help out,” Otabek says.

“On top of growing our kid, you’ve been buying most of our food, and you’ve done a lot of the cleaning around the apartment. Trust me, it helps.”

Otabek still looks uncertain, so Yuri tries something else. “You hit the halfway point today, and tomorrow we’ll get to see them again and might even find out what we’re having. What are you hoping for?”

Otabek takes a moment to think about it. “I think a human baby would be nice.”

Yuri rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

Otabek laughs. “I really don’t have a preference. I want to know so we can narrow down names, but I really don’t care either way.”

Yuri hadn’t even considered names. He wonders if it would be too much to ask for the baby to have his patronymic. 

“I guess it doesn’t matter anyway, we get what we get.”

“Do you have a preference?”

“No, I just hope they’re doing okay in there. You know, growing like they’re supposed to.”

Otabek rubs a hand over his belly. “They’re definitely growing. At this rate they’ll run out of space way before December.”

Otabek has looked unmistakably pregnant for a few weeks now, but it’s not like he’s huge or anything. “I’m sure they’re just the right size, but we’ll find out for sure tomorrow.”

Yuri ducks out of practice early the next day so he can join Otabek for his appointment. Neither of them can take their eyes off the screen as they watch their baby react to being poked and prodded as the sonographer takes all of the needed measurements. The baby is in fact a completely normal size, and while they won’t know the actual results of the ultrasound for a few more days, there doesn’t seem to be any need to worry. 

They go home that afternoon with a stack of pictures, excited to tell everyone they know all about their perfect, beautiful, amazing, baby girl.


	5. Chapter 5

Otabek nervously tidies up the apartment while he waits for his mom and sister to arrive. There’s not much he can do about the clutter aside from tucking things into whichever cabinet has space. He’ll undo it after they leave.

His sister called an hour ago to say that they had arrived and they were renting a car to drive to the hotel down the street where they’ll be staying. Once they get checked in they plan to come over and see his new home before taking him out to dinner. It’s probably for the best that Yuri is stuck at work tonight. He’s not sure what his mom is going to have to say about the apartment and Otabek knows how hard Yuri works to pay for the place. He doesn’t want them to get off on the wrong foot any more than they already have.

He’s shoving his laptop into the top of the closet when he hears a knock on the door and quickly moves across the room to answer it. His mom, Rayana, and his sister, Marzhan, are standing there, each holding a small gift bag. He opens the door wide to let them in and is instantly engulfed in a hug from his mother. “Look at you,” she says, pulling back. “I’ve seen pictures, but it’s different to see you in person.”

“She’s growing pretty fast now,” Otabek says, placing one hand self-consciously on his belly. He’s pretty sure the pictures she’s referring to are the ones on Yuri’s instagram that were taken last week, just after they found out they were expecting a girl.

“You’re over halfway there now, how do you feel?” his mother asks.

“I feel good. I’m excited to meet her.”

“We brought her some things from home,” Marzhan pipes up, gesturing to the gift bags in their hands. “Normally we would wait until after she’s born, but I don’t think we’re visiting right away. Right mom?”

“Right, I was going to talk to you about that,” Rayana says, turning back to Otabek. “The European championship is only a month after your due date, and I know Yuri is going to be away for that. How do you feel about scheduling our first visit while he’s away, so you don’t have to spend so much time alone with the baby while she’s still so tiny?”

It’s a good idea, if for no other reason than it will give him and Yuri some time to adjust to life with their baby alone before they have to deal with guests. It would be fine if his family was local and could visit for a couple hours at a time and then go back home, but if they’re traveling specifically to meet the baby he has a feeling they would end up staying all day.

“That sounds good.”

“Excellent. Are you going to show us around?” Rayana asks, peeking over his shoulder. 

“Sure, it won’t take long,” Otabek says, moving aside to let them both step inside.

The apartment is clean, he and Yuri made sure of it. You could eat off any surface you wanted. The clutter is contained as much as possible, which makes the apartment look just a tiny bit bigger than it usually does, with the things they use every day stuffed into high cabinets instead of strewn about where they’re easy to get to. 

It’s Marzhan that talks first. “Is there another room?”

“No, this is it,” Otabek says. “We plan to move eventually, but Yuri is afraid to use our savings because we might need the money to live on if he breaks his leg or something. We’re hoping he’ll win some competitions this season so we can move next summer, but if this is a bad year for him we’ll probably have to wait a little longer.”

“Oh Bekem, no,” his mother says. “When you said you were going to move I thought you meant before the baby. Where are you going to put her things?” 

“The top drawer is all hers, and the boxes under the crib.”

Rayana shakes her head. “Neither of you is going to get any sleep if one of you can’t take the baby to another room when she wakes up, and she’s going to have a lot more stuff than she has right now. You won’t be able to walk through this place once she’s here.”

Otabek knows his mom is right, but he’s not going to tell her that. Before he moved to Russia, his parents always supported him financially by paying his rent and coaching fees so that he could use his competition winnings and occasional income from DJ gigs for whatever he wanted. His pregnancy was a wake up call that it was time to grow up and pay his own way. 

Of course, that hasn’t gone exactly according to plan. Finding a job in a foreign country while pregnant is much easier said than done, but Yuri is the baby’s father too and they’re doing okay. Besides, most new parents struggle. That’s part of the journey. It isn’t like things are hopeless, he still has his savings if it comes down to being unable to pay for necessities.

“Can we just go out for dinner?” he says. “I don’t want to argue about this right now.” 

“Where’s Yuri? I thought he was going to join us. I’d like to meet him.”

“He was offered an extra shift at the rink and I told him to take it,” Otabek says. 

“Doesn’t Russia pay people to skate?” Marzhan asks.

“The monthly payments are just enough for one person to live on in the city. Now that I’m here we’ve been supplementing it with money from my youtube channel and Yuri’s second job. His biggest source of income is competition winnings, but he’s always sent most of that home to Moscow to support his family so he doesn’t have very much saved.”

“I wish you would just let us help you, it really isn’t any trouble.”

“We’ve talked about this, It’s time for me to handle things on my own.”

Rayana purses her lips as if to say ‘We’ll talk about this again later,’ but she lets it go and turns to walk back to the car. Otabek and Marzhan follow close behind and Marzhan climbs into the back seat so Otabek can sit up front.

“So, when can we meet Yuri?” Marzhan asks.

“He might be home by the time we get back from dinner, the rink closes in a couple hours. If not, he has tomorrow evening off.”

“Does he work a lot?” she asks.

“His practice schedule is a lot like mine was, except he has ballet on top of that, then he averages maybe three evenings a week at his job.”

Rayana makes a quiet tutting sound and Otabek chooses to ignore it.

What follows is one of the most awkward dinners Otabek has ever endured with his family. He has never been one for small talk, so attempting to engage in it now is excruciating. Still, they get through it and Otabek breathes a sigh of relief when they pull back into the parking lot of the apartment.

That relief is short lived when he realizes they’re getting out of the car to follow him back upstairs. He should’ve known they just didn’t want to risk causing a scene in public. As the door closes behind them, he sits on the couch and resigns himself to his fate.

“I don’t know why you would choose now to decide you want to be independent,” Rayana says. “You know your father and I can afford to support you. We agreed years ago that we would pay for your rent and skating fees until after you were retired and ready to stand on your own two feet.”

“How am I supposed to be a parent if I still need my own parents to pay for things? Yuri has been paying his own way since he was _twelve_ , I need to be an adult.”

“I needed help with you and your sister when you were little. Not financially, but your grandmother and aunts were over all the time to look after you while I finished my residency. You don’t even have local family here.”

“I’m not moving back home,” Otabek says, crossing his arms over his chest. Marzhan is in the kitchen trying to look anywhere else.

Rayana sighs and sits next to Otabek on the couch. “I’m not asking you to come home with me. I know Yuri is here, and I think he has proven he’s sticking around for you. I just wish you would let me help you a different way. If I pay your rent, you’ll have money for babysitters, and you won’t have to stress about what to do when she gets bigger and needs her own space.”

“Yuri didn’t have his own room until he moved to St. Petersburg and he’s fine. I know you’re worried, but we’re okay, really.”

“You always were a stubborn child,” Rayana says, shaking her head. “The offer is open whenever you decide you’re ready. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

As they leave, Otabek slumps down. This is going to be a long week.

\--------------

Yuri is finishing up putting away the last of the rental skates when he hears the door to the rink open and pops his head around the window. “The rink is closing in a few minutes...oh”

He’s never met her, but he would recognize Otabek’s mom anywhere. Even if he hadn’t seen her picture, there’s no denying the family resemblance. 

“I’m sorry to bother you at work, but I was hoping to talk to you alone,” Rayana says. 

“Yeah, sure. I’m almost finished.” Yuri says, before scurrying back into the equipment room. He wasn’t prepared for his first introduction to be one-on-one. He had really counted on having Otabek there too.

He wills himself to just breathe as he puts the last few pairs of skates on the shelf, before heading out to face the music.

“I’m sorry about that,” Yuri says as he steps back into the lobby, still hoping to make a decent first impression. He’s pretty sure a good first impression is out of reach.

“It’s fine, I know you’re busy.”

“So what did you need?” Yuri asks nervously, hoping to get straight to the point.

“I don’t know if Otabek has told you about my offer, but I was hoping you could talk some sense into him.”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but I’m sure he has his reasons if he won’t take it,” Yuri says. This is really not going the way he hoped it would.

“Don’t you think you need more space? That apartment of yours would be fine for one person living alone, but it’s way too small for a family.”

Yuri’s heart is pounding in his chest. “I know. I’m really trying, but it’s the best I can do for now. I know things might get better temporarily if we go to Almaty, but in the long run I think we’ll be better off here, at least until we retire.”

“What if you could get a larger apartment in St. Petersburg? My husband and I always paid Otabek’s rent before, but now he won’t let us because he says it’s time for him to grow up.”

Yuri is confused. He knew Otabek’s family had been offering to help him, but he thought he was turning it down because he didn’t want to be separated or to hurt Yuri’s career by asking him to move. “Why would he say no to that?”

“He thinks he can get by with what you already have, and maybe that’s true, but why make things harder than they have to be?”

“What’s the catch?” Yuri asks. He likes to think that Otabek is a pretty smart person, but this isn’t the first time he’s been forced to consider that Otabek may be a bit too optimistic about bringing a baby into their current living situation.

“There isn’t one.”

“No, like, what are your terms? What would we have to do?” Yuri asks. He knows nobody makes an offer that generous unless they want something in return.

“I just want my child and grandchild to have everything they need, but he’s letting his pride get in the way.”

“Is there anything you would want us to do to pay you back?” Yuri perseveres, trying to make sense of this.

“I would like it if Otabek would still honor our original deal.”

“What was that?” 

“That I would support his skating for as long as he’s able, if he would agree to attend university after he retires.”

That’s ...really reasonable. University never felt like much of an option to Yuri. He always figured he would stay close to skating after he retires since it’s all he knows, but Otabek has always been pretty well-rounded. Education would probably suit him just fine.

“What would you like me to do? It would feel weird to benefit from this without at least doing something to earn it.”

Rayana takes a moment to think. “Quit your job. Not necessarily right now, but before the baby is born. You won’t need the money as badly and Otabek is going to need help at home if he wants to return to skating himself.”

Yuri nods. “I’ll talk to him. I can’t promise anything though, it’s up to him.”

“I just want what’s best for my child. You’ll understand soon.”

“I already do.”

“It was nice to meet you, I’m sure you’re ready to go home.”

“It was good to meet you too,” Yuri says, before she turns to go back out the door.

He finishes up his last few tasks for the night and locks up to go home. Surely there must be more to it and Otabek can clear things up once they talk. Yuri can’t imagine why Otabek would turn down that offer without a good reason. Maybe this is just the first step towards trying to control them or something.

When he walks into the apartment Otabek is still sitting on the couch looking frustrated.

“I had an interesting conversation with your mother. You never mentioned that your parents were offering to pay our rent here in St. Petersburg.”

“Yeah, but we have it under control.”

Yuri furrows his eyebrows. “Is there a reason you said no? Is it something they would use against us somehow?”

“What? No, nothing like that. They’ve never asked for much from me and that’s half of the problem. I need to learn how to handle things on my own and I can’t do that if I can’t even pay my own way.”

Yuri sits next to Otabek on the couch and gently places his hand on Otabek’s belly. “Beka, don’t you think our daughter deserves her own room?”

“You never had one.”

“And that was messed up. My grandpa did the best he could, but I went without _a lot_ when I was a kid. I don’t want our daughter to go through that if she doesn’t have to.”

“You turned out fine.”

“I’m a nineteen year old dad who barely finished secondary school and is only good at one thing.”

“You’re good at more than one thing, and you’re going to be a good dad too.”

“I’m trying to be a good dad right now.”

Otabek sighs. “I just really thought we could handle it. Asking for help makes me feel like I already failed her.”

“You would be failing her if you weren’t willing to do what it takes to make sure she has everything she needs, even if it hurts our pride.”

“How do you really feel about it though? I know you’ve always taken care of yourself.”

“I think it’s normal for grandparents to help with their grandchildren. Don’t get me wrong, it sucks. It makes me feel like my mom and I hate that, but I know we’re better than her because we aren’t going anywhere. We’ll still be the ones taking care of our daughter, even if your parents are helping with our bills.”

Otabek nods. “I still don’t like it, but I’ll talk to my mom tomorrow.”

“Thanks. It doesn’t have to be forever, just long enough for us to get our shit together.”

\------------------

By the time Yuri gets home from practice the next day, all of the details have been worked out. The rest of the visit is much more pleasant. By the time Rayana and Marzhan leave Yuri is actually sad to see them go. It would’ve been nice for his kid to have her grandmother and aunt around. She’ll see them every summer at least. Over the course of the week they came up with the additional agreement that they would bring the baby to visit for at least two weeks every summer so she could get to know the rest of her family.

Yuri is relieved that she seems to be well on her way to a better childhood than he had.

It doesn’t take long to line up a new apartment, with the research Yuri did several weeks ago when going over his budget to decide what they could afford. The new apartment is in the same building as Mila’s, only a little bit further from the rink than their old one, and well over twice the size. Their room actually fits all of their stuff, and the baby will have a room of her own. 

Victor, Yuuri, and Mila help them carry their things over and they’re shocked to realize just how empty the place looks even when everything is moved in. It came furnished, but the stuff that was piled on every available surface in the old place fits perfectly into cabinets and shelves in the new place with room to spare. Even the bed is bigger. 

It is nearly time for the season to start, so as soon as they’re settled in Yuri drops the rink job so he can spend more time practicing. He’ll make more money winning competitions than he would working a few hours a week, but winning isn’t guaranteed and he knows this is going to be a season with some major distractions. Still, it’s much easier to accept that risk knowing there is only so far he can fall.


	6. Chapter 6

When the season begins everything seems to ramp up, with Yuri spending longer at practice while Otabek tries to get everything ready for the baby, who will be arriving right in the middle of the season. 

Yuri’s first competition is in France, and it's the only competition Otabek will be able to accompany him to before he’s too far along for international travel. As he takes his seat on the plane he wonders if traveling is a great idea even now. They were able to get a direct flight, but the seats in coach are cramped at the best of times and this is definitely not the best of times.

A strong kick to his bladder alerts him that he’s in for a few very long hours. He starts to shift in his seat to try to find a more comfortable position as the plane takes off. “Is everything okay?” Yuri asks.

“I’m fine, just ready for this flight to be over.”

“We’ve only been in the air for a few minutes.”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad once she settles down, but right now she’s pummeling all of my organs.”

Yuri rests his hand over the source of Otabek’s discomfort, with that soft, awed look he always gets whenever she’s active like this. “I know we agree that kicking people is a lot of fun, but I think your dad could use a break,” he says, as he gently rubs his hand over Otabek’s belly in an attempt to soothe her.

“Imagine how much worse flying is going to be once she’s out,”Otabek says.

Yuri represses a shudder. “I’ve been trying not to think about that too much.”

Eventually she settles down enough that Otabek can relax a little bit through the rest of the flight. 

When they land, they find themselves wishing that Yuuri had been assigned to the same qualifying events because that would mean having Victor around to navigate their way through the French airport and to their hotel. Otabek remembers very little French from his time in Quebec, and Yuri knows even less, so they take several wrong turns and nearly get on the wrong bus before someone is able to point them in the right direction in English.

By the time they get checked in, they’re both exhausted and all they want to do is sleep. Yuri still has a few hours before he has to be at the rink for his first practice, and Otabek doesn’t technically need to be anywhere at all, so they decide to do just that, hoping it won’t mess up their sleeping schedules too badly. Otabek has been taking so many naps at strange hours lately that he’s not really sure if he even has a sleep cycle to speak of anyway. It’s nearly impossible to get comfortable and it feels like the moment he finally does he either needs to pee or the baby wakes up and starts boxing his organs again. He can’t believe he still has almost two more months of this.

He got off easy in his first trimester, only really feeling morning sickness for a few days and never very bad, and then the second trimester was a breeze. It turns out he was just saving up all of his misery for the end. 

A few hours later when Yuri’s alarm goes off to let him know that it's time to head to the rink, Otabek stays behind to rest and catch up with some reading. He still has a twinge in his back from the plane and from trying to sleep in the hotel bed without an extra pillow to stuff between his knees so he doesn’t want to aggravate that any further by walking a few blocks to the rink and he would feel ridiculous calling a cab for something that close. He would be better served saving his energy to support Yuri through the actual competition.

After a while he decides to go down to the hotel lobby to see if he can get a couple more pillows, but the woman behind the counter doesn’t seem to understand what he’s trying to say. He’s about ready to give up and go back to his room when he realizes he left his key card sitting on the bedside table. Now he needs to either figure out how to communicate that or wait for Yuri to get back with his own key.

Luckily, JJ walks through the door of the hotel and approaches the counter to check in at just the right moment to help him before he loses his mind. With a new key card and two pillows in hand, he turns to go back to the elevator. JJ finishes checking in and catches up to him before the doors to the elevator open. “So, what have you been up to?” JJ asks.

“You know, just… _this_ ,” he says, gesturing down to his belly.

“That’s cool though, Izzy and I might start trying soon. We’ve been married for a couple years now, so it feels like time.”

“Well, good luck.”

“Any advice?”

Otabek really hopes he’s asking for tips on preparing for a baby and not conceiving one. “Try to aim for a due date in the off season if you can.”

JJ nods. “That makes sense, I can tell you’re kinda waddling right now so traveling must suck.”

Otabek opens and closes his mouth a few times before he can formulate a response. “I don’t waddle.”

“You totally do, but it’s fine. I think you’re supposed to.” 

The elevator doors open up on Otabek’s floor, so he quickly walks (not waddles) toward his room, leaving JJ behind instead of finishing that conversation.

When he accompanies Yuri to the short program a couple of days later it’s still all he can think about. The way he walks is just one more thing to add to the pile of things he’s self-conscious about right now.

Yuri finishes the short program in first place. It isn’t entirely unexpected, his short program has been looking great at practice. The real test will be the free skate. 

Otabek does his best to avoid the cameras at the rink, but he’s pretty sure they at least caught the part where he stood next to the boards to wish Yuri luck as he took to the ice. He doesn’t exactly love that Yuri seems to be taking new pictures of him every day, but at least he offers veto power over those before putting them online. Any one of these cameras could get him from his worst angle, or film him (not) waddling, and there wouldn’t be a thing he could do about it.

He finds himself spending most of his time in his hotel room instead of out seeing the sights. Yuri is pretty understanding about it, not pushing him to do anything he doesn’t want to do and ordering takeout to bring back to the room instead of insisting on going out to eat.

When they get to the rink for the free skate, Otabek takes a seat in the stands, making the excuse that he’s tired and just wants to sit down. It’s not much of a lie, but he can tell that Yuri isn’t really buying it. 

It isn’t a perfect free skate, but it’s far from terrible, and the silver medal Yuri wins is a good step toward qualifying for the final.

When they get back to the hotel after the medal ceremony, Yuri stuffs his silver medal into his bag with a sigh. 

“Silver is still pretty good,” Otabek says.

“I know,” Yuri says. “It’s just that gold would’ve been better.”

“What would you tell me if I won silver?”

“Probably something like ‘get off the ice, you’re pregnant’.”

“You know what I meant.”

“Yeah, but that’s enough about second place. Something has been bothering you, what is it?”

Otabek pauses, before blurting out “Do I waddle?

“Why do you ask?”

“So, I do waddle.”

“I didn’t say that. Who said you waddle?”

“JJ.”

“Do you want me to hit him? I’m sure I can track him down,” Yuri says, eyeing the door like he’s about to go do just that.

“No, I don’t want that. I was just wondering if I actually do. I hadn’t really thought about it before.”

“I mean, maybe a little? You have a bowling ball lodged in your pelvis, that’s going to happen, but it’s still a rude thing to say out loud.”

“Fuck,” Otabek says, lightly thumping the back of his head against the wall from where he’s sitting on the bed.

Yuri climbs into the bed beside him and grabs his hand. “Hey, don’t worry about that. It’s a normal part of having a baby, nobody is judging you.”

“I’m such a mess, I don’t know how you can stand to look at me.”

“I love to look at you.”

“I used to have abs, now I can’t even see my own dick,” Otabek complains.

“If it helps at all, I can still see your dick and it’s just as perfect as it’s always been.”

“I have stretch marks.”

“Tiger stripes.”

“I have tits.”

“Barely, and you have to feed our kid somehow. You can hardly even tell.”

“My face looks rounder and my feet are swollen and my back hurts all the time and the longer this goes on the more I worry that there’s no way I’m going to get back in shape fast enough to compete next season.”

Yuri looks like he’s at a loss. “Beka, you’re gorgeous, and if it takes you some time to get back into things, that’s okay. There’s no rule that you can’t miss two seasons if you need to.”

“I’m going to be twenty-two next week, I’m not getting any younger.”

“Twenty-two is still young. Victor was thirty when he retired and Giacometti is still skating even though he’s practically a fossil. You’ve got this.”

“This is going to sound really vain, but I’m worried I’ll never be as hot as I used to be.”

“You’re still hot, and I have excellent taste in men so I would know.”

“You’ve only dated me.”

“Because I got it right on the first try.”

Otabek doesn’t know what to say. He knows Yuri is really trying hard to make him feel better, but it isn’t working, and if he keeps arguing then they’re both just going to feel like crap. “I’m just going to lay down for a while,” he says with a sigh as he stands up to find his pajamas. It’s way too early to go to bed and too late for a nap, but right now he doesn’t even care.

\---------------

Yuri isn’t sure what to do to make this better. He knew Otabek was feeling insecure, but it’s even worse than he thought. He climbs into bed behind Otabek and just holds him. “I love you, you know,” he says when he feels Otabek’s hand on his arm.

“I know. I love you too.”

“I wish there was something I could do. I don’t want you to feel like this.”

“This could’ve just as easily happened the other way around,” Yuri says as he slips his hand down to rest on Otabek’s belly. “Would you have stopped being attracted to me?”

“Never.”

“Then please just trust me when I say I feel the same.”

“It’s not always this bad, I’ve just been having a rough week. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I’m not going to stop worrying about you, it comes with the territory. Do you know how freaked out I am about leaving you behind when I go to Skate America in a couple weeks? Or even worse, making it into the final and going away only two weeks before your due date. I hate the thought of not being there for you.”

“I know you have to do it. I’ll be okay.”

A few minutes pass with neither of them saying a word as they lay there together.

Finally Yuri breaks the silence. “Do you want me to prove it?”

“Prove what?”

“You know, that you’re still hot,” Yuri says, grinding lightly against Otabek’s backside for emphasis.

It startles a laugh out of Otabek. “How on earth are you horny?”

“We’ve been cuddling for like twenty minutes and it’s been a week…”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“I’m tired, so you’re doing all the work,” Otabek says as he presses back against Yuri.

“I can do that,” Yuri says excitedly, as he presses a kiss to the back of Otabek’s neck. “You don’t even have to move.”

Yuri slips his hands under Otabek’s sleep shirt and lifts it up, exposing his chest and belly, and bends over him to kiss along the newly exposed skin as Otabek stays on his side. He can’t lay on his back for very long anymore, but this position is just fine. 

Yuri gets up from the bed to retrieve the lube from his suitcase and loses his own clothes on his way back to the bed. As he climbs back into the bed, Otabek turns his head to pull him into a kiss. Yuri slides his hand down Otabek’s front, pausing briefly before dipping down below the waistband of his pants, and is happy to find that Otabek is just as aroused as he is.

He takes the opportunity to slide Otabek’s pants and underwear down and just enjoys the view of his naked body for a moment before pouring a little bit of the lube into his hand. “Is this okay, or did you want to do something else?” Yuri asks as his lube-soaked fingers trail down the cleft of Otabek’s ass and settle against his hole, not pressing in until he gets the go-ahead.

“Yeah, this is good,” Otabek says, as he grabs the blanket to try to cover the front side of his body. 

Yuri uses his other hand to pull the blanket back. “Hey now, I wanted to look at you.”

“Fine,” Otabek says, dropping it down next to the bed. He looks embarrassed, but he hasn’t asked Yuri to stop, so he presses forward, continuing to finger him open until he’s sure he’s ready for more. 

By the time Yuri presses his cock inside, Otabek is practically boneless. The spooning position is one of the few that is still comfortable, but Yuri enjoys the intimacy and closeness of it almost as much as he enjoys making love face to face. Not that he’s ever going to say that sappy shit out loud if he can help it.

One of the benefits of Otabek already being pregnant is that Yuri can skip the condom. Now that he’s gotten used to topping without one, he dreads going back. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of pressing into the love of his life without any barrier between them.

Yuri reaches his arm down to lift Otabek’s leg so he can press deeper, eliciting a moan as he hits just the right spot. Otabek takes his own cock in hand and it isn’t long before he’s clenching around Yuri as he spills in his hand, pulling Yuri over the edge with him.

Yuri releases Otabek’s leg and snuggles against his back. “So, do you believe I’m still into you?” he asks.

“Yeah, but I might need you to keep showing me,” Otabek says, turning his face to pull Yuri into another kiss.

“I can definitely do that.”


	7. Chapter 7

Yuri does make the Grand Prix Final, just like Otabek knew he would. He even manages to come home with bronze, despite spending more time on the phone than in the rink. He was so afraid of Otabek going into labor while he was away that he could barely concentrate on the competition. 

Now Otabek is sitting, miserable and overdue, in the stands at the Russian Nationals, sandwiched between Victor and Mila as they wait for Yuri’s turn for his free skate.

He’s torn between being glad that he made it this far without interrupting any of Yuri’s competitions, and upset that he’s still pregnant three whole days after this was supposed to be over. The competition has barely started and Yuri is skating last. He feels a contraction but doesn’t think much of it, he’s had so many over the past couple of weeks that he tries not to place too much hope in any one contraction. He shifts a little in his seat to try to get comfortable and it fades away as quickly as it began. 

“Are you okay?” Mila asks quietly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just a hard seat.”

She doesn’t quite look like she believes him, but she turns to face forward again anyway.

Nearly thirty minutes pass before it happens again, and this time Victor and Yuuri notice too. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Yuuri asks. 

“I’m fine, it was just a cramp.”

He can go into labor in three hours. That gives Yuri enough time to win gold and get through the medal ceremony before taking him back home. He is absolutely not doing this at the rink with hundreds of people around to witness it.

By the fourth contraction he’s pretty sure this is actually happening, but it’s almost Yuri’s turn and he doesn’t want to do anything that could cost him his medal. Even if he is in labor it’s probably going to be at least a few hours before anything happens.

He’s relieved when Yuri skates out onto the ice and he knows it’s too late now for him to ruin anything, even if this is the real deal. Yuri’s free skate is the best it’s been all season and as the music comes to an end he knows that Yuri has won.

As Yuri skates off of the ice and into the kiss and cry with Yakov, he feels another one, this time hard enough to have him doubling over and muttering curses under his breath. “Okay, that’s enough. I’m going to go get Yuri,” Mila says, rushing down out of the stands. 

“Come on, you made it through the competition, let's get you somewhere a little more private,” Victor says, as he helps him out of his seat and leads him out of the stands by his elbow.

“They’re just coming every twenty minutes so I have a while before I need to go to the hospital. If I go now they’ll just send me home and tell me to come back later,” Otabek protests, as Victor and Yuuri lead him out to their car.

“Then we’ll take you home for now and you can go to the hospital when it’s time,” Yuuri says. 

Barely a minute later Yuri runs out with his shoes untied and his skates clutched in his hands. “How long?” he asks.

“A couple hours, but they’re really spread out still so there’s no point in heading to the hospital yet.”

Yuri takes a deep breath and tries to get his bearings. “Five minutes apart for at least an hour is what the doctor said, right?”

“Yeah, and right now they’re more like twenty.” 

“Okay. I’ll just time them I guess,” Yuri says, still trying to will himself to calm down.

They climb into the back seat of Victor’s car for the very short ride home. “So, did you win?” Otabek asks as he closes the door.

“I don’t know, I didn’t wait for my score.”

Otabek just shakes his head. “I would’ve been okay for a few more minutes.”

“I wouldn’t have.”

The next contraction hits as Victor pulls into the parking lot of the apartment complex, so Otabek waits it out before he gets out of the car, while Yuri holds his hand and glances at the clock on his phone.

“What time was the last one?” Yuri asks, when it’s over.

“I’m not sure exactly. We’ll just have to start counting from this one.”

Yuuri and Victor walk them to their door. “Call us as soon as you’re ready for a ride and we’ll be here in ten minutes,” Yuuri says.

“Okay, I will. Thanks,” Otabek says, as they turn to leave.

He’s glad to have some privacy. As he sits down on the couch to try to rest as much as he can, Yuri goes into the bedroom to retrieve the hospital bag and put it in front of their door.

“What are you doing?”

“If we have to step over it to leave we can’t forget it.”

Yuri sits next to him on the couch. “So do you really think this is the real thing?”

“Yeah, it feels different than before, and it’s past time for her now.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Just stay with me.”

As it turns out, Otabek was right and there really was no need to hurry. Hours pass before anything really changes; he even manages to take a nap at one point. Yuri doesn’t let him out of his sight, carefully noting each contraction as they get closer and stronger. 

By the time they actually need to head to the hospital it’s already three in the morning. Otabek feels a little bit bad about calling so late to wake Victor up, but when he arrives a few minutes later it’s clear that he was still awake.

There’s a little bit of confusion as they arrive at the maternity ward and the nurses try to shuffle Otabek into a regular room instead of the family suite, but when Yuri refuses to leave his side and Otabek insists that he isn’t going anywhere without him, they’re able to sort it out. 

The first couple of hours pass much like their time at home, but now with monitors and the occasional visit from a nurse to check his progress. 

By the time the sun starts to rise outside their window the pain with each contraction has gone from mostly tolerable to the worst thing Otabek has ever felt in his life, and he hardly has a chance to relax between them. 

By the time he decides to ask for an epidural it’s too late to get one. Strangely enough, it’s Yuri who cries about it.

At just past eight o’clock AM, Sofia Yurievna Altin is born. As Otabek holds her for the first time he already can’t imagine his life without her. As exhausted as he is, he can’t take his eyes off of her. He almost doesn’t want to give Yuri a turn, but when he watches Yuri’s eyes light up as she grasps onto his finger, he’s glad he did.

A couple of days later, when they leave the hospital with her, they can’t believe they were allowed to just take her home. It feels like there should be more to it than that, but they know they can figure things out. They’re as ready as they can be, and everything is going to be fine.


End file.
